Skype 30/11/17

Seems strange that today was the last group skype feel like we have only just got into it.
Here are some takeaway tips that I got from todays discussion:

Module two is about the skills of the inquiry don't just focus on your topic!

Ethics- can be seen or described as tensions

Don't concentrate to much on what ethical considerations you have to make in terms of proposal tools- i.e. confidentiality etc. That has to be done no matter what. Consider ethics in regards to your topic- what are the tensions around it- how will this inform your analysis.
For me that everyone views the arts as different things? or uses them for a different purpose i.e. creativity, aesthetic, values them differently.

Critical Reflection: Stand outside of yourself and ask what have I learnt from this module:

• About the field your in
• About your practice
• Your personal skills 
• Your attitude 

Award specialism title:

Makes you stand out and be more specific for a job role. Cant use education in the title. 

Have to write a rationale. What are your reasons for picking that title? Pretended the person reading it doesn't know anything about you. 

Good Luck to everyone for the last few weeks with re drafting and hand-in!

Ethical considerations

I currently feel like I am going around and around with my proposal changing, questioning and adding constantly.

Here are some things that I am considering at minute and hope others could help expand and elaborate my thinking:

• When and how to notify participants of aims/procedures? is it through the consent forms?
• How to store data on dictaphones- what is the provision? 
• Ownership of data? whose is it?
• Ideas/ thoughts/considerations on skype interviews? how could data be recorded?
• The impact or change or change that may result in inquiry? any ideas that people have come with up with that they are willing to share? 
• Do you require consent for inside observations? from people who are in the class, pupils teachers etc? even though they are not direct participants? 

Pilot of my survey

Today I have being putting together my survey. I had planned to do 10-20 questions but on the free version of survey monkey you can only do 10 questions. Some of my research participants I will be using will require an online source or via a document through email due to location factor. I found this hard limiting my questions to 10 and I am unsure if they will fully help gain an understanding to inquiry question. So whether to use this online technology is something I am questioning.

I am also taking into consideration my research participants are often very limited in time so prep haps a 10 question limit may be beneficial?

Below is the link for my pilot survey. I would be grateful if anyone could have a go at doing it and offer some feedback in terms of the style of questions, the order, relevance to my inquiry, ethical considerations, wording etc (not in terms of thoughts of the topic)

My Inquiry question is:

How are the arts used by primary education practitioners?

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/HWPYXDZ

Current questions I am asking myself

When it comes to planning my inquiry I didn't think there would be that much to consider. Here are some things I am thinking about whilst preparing my proposal.

I am debating whether to do a survey or questionnaire? made me ask myself what do I really want to get out of my inquiry and why am I doing my chosen topic.

"A survey is defined as the measure of opinions or experiences of a group of people through the asking of questions. This is opposed to a questionnaire, which is defined as a set of printed or written questions with a choice of answers, devised for the purposes of a survey or statistical study." (fluid surveys university, 2014)

How are my respondents going to answer a survey or questionnaire?
Paper or computerised?

If they use technology to answer what device? phone, laptop, tablet as this may effect how they are answer and the type of questions i should use.

What style of question is most appropriate matrix or multiple choice?

Should I use general teaching assistants or just those that plan lessons?

Will I write and take notes in my interviews?

Will I record my interviews? if so what device is most appropriate?

Please share any thoughts or considerations to these questions

Sources

Fluid surveys university (2014) Solving the Mystery of the 'Survey Questionnaire' Available at:http://fluidsurveys.com/university/solving-mystery-survey-questionnaire/(Accessed: 11/11/17).

Task 6b- Inquiry tools

Here is my current thinking on my inquiry and tools I plan to use

How do primary level practitioners use arts within the classroom? 

How do they use the arts?
What are the reasons for using the arts at primary education age?
Why do they use the arts?
Is there a difference between SEN schools and mainstream?
Is the arts a valued subject at primary education level?

My Inquiry Tools:

Questionnaires to staff within my school (SEN)
Questionnaires to family/friends who are primary education teachers

Currently deciding whether to do my surveys through the use of an internet source like- survey monkey and email out or paper version? any ideas or thoughts on this? 

Interviews-
I am going to conduct interviews with four friends who are primary education teachers within mainstream schools. They have a wide range of experience and teach a variety of age groups. Two live local so I plan to do this face to face, the other two live away so I will do this via skype.

I will also conduct interviews within my workplace one with the co-headteacher and with some of the class teachers. How many sources do you think would be good to use?

Other interview ideas-
Someone from a company called 'artis education' who I feel would help expand my thinking within this topic area. I have emailed and awaiting a  reply.
Music therapist who visits the work place I work in (maybe hard to arrange)

Inside observations- I am going to select a time period i.e. 2 weeks in which I make daily recordings of when I see the use of the arts in the classroom.

Participant observation
I am going to ask within my school if i can watch some sessions conducted by the external musical therapist who visits our school once a week.

Reviewing documents
I am going to review the curriculum for primary education and special support schools.
I am also going to try outsource some reports into this topic.
I plan to review two websites- Kennedy arts centre and Artis Education

If anyone has any thoughts, ideas or consideration to this rough plan please comment.

Task 6a- Pilot Interview

During the skype call last night I asked for some thoughts and ideas in relation to my inquiry. Module 2 student Emma was happy to share some of her thoughts and experiences towards my question as she works as higher leader teaching assistant and a music teacher. As a results I thought I could use this as a pilot interview and a practice of analysing some data.

My question 'how do teachers incorporate arts within the classroom?'

From my interview with participant A, who has a background in the acting industry, I was left feeling energised and inspired. It was obvious she used many of her acting skills within her lessons and referred to the "kids like an ensemble". She talked about a recent science lesson she planned involving an experiment "the science experiment as theatre". She talked through the stages of the lesson, the introduction , the experiment and the writing up. Through how she explained I got the impression she used acting skills, a range of voices and characters to engage the children. The lesson described recalled a video (TEDx talks, 2015) I recently watched in which Ben Richards talks about why 'teachers teach but kids don't learn'. Ben Richards is 'an award winning playwright, an experienced teacher of drama, philosophy and mathematics.' He used an example of  a way of engaging the children in learning through the use of puppets in a maths lesson. It seemed the effect of using the puppets made the problem more relatable to children, they where intrigued by the puppets which got an initial reaction and they wanted to help the puppets solve the maths problem. Similar to the results of participants A lesson where she said 'children where engaged' and used the case study of one child. 'This child is one that usually hates school, doesn't want to join in with lessons, but in that session he was actively involved, he expressed excitement and he wanted to write up the experiment'. From this case study it led me to believe that the as a result the lesson involved all students and was more inclusive. In relation to my practice I can see the benefits of incorporating your acting skills within the classroom, it makes it more engaging for a child and leading me to question should teachers have arts training? The background of both participant A and Richards is the arts- does a background in arts make a more effective teacher?

TEDx Talks (2015) Why teachers teach but kids don't learn. Available at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKo69os94cU Accessed: 1st October 2017.

skype notes- 31/10/17

"Art is in the planning"

This was a quote that came from Emma (module 2) with regards to my inquiry question of arts in the classroom but Adesola picked up on this and related it to module 2 students. Highlighting that this module the 'art is not in the question" but instead its about the planning of your inquiry and how you will connect everything 'art is in the planning". Thinking about important details- how are you going to talk to people? what format are you going to use for interviews? why? what resources will you need? what timeframe? how are you going to analyse your results?
A thought out plan will lead to a productive inquiry. Like a good lesson plan leads to an effective class.

Perfectionism 

The topic of perfectionism was introduced by a Module 1 student (matt) and perfectionism within the arts industry. Reminded me that as an artist we are so used to striving for perfectionism- we are always working towards a final piece, a show, a drama piece, a video, an audition, getting a job.
This discussion topic provoked lots of thoughts in relation to the development of professional practice.

"think of it as a bendy road that you stay on and not the peak of a mountain to reach"

This course has really opened my eyes to self/professional development, life-long learning, distance learning, and keeping on the road not just climbing the mountain then finishing and to keep questing and being inquisitive.

Relating this to BAPP- is that we aren't just aiming for the perfect inquiry question then the perfect running inquiry or perfect draft, its the things that happen along the way that are important.

Ethics

As many of us are relating are inquiry to education we are all considering many ethical issues with regards to the use of children as a research source. If you don't are you getting a full perspective? is something i have questioned. Adesola gave an example of if you had two fields of cows one with grass the other with corn and you where to trying to find out what field was best for them- would you go ask them? no because you wouldn't get much response from them. You cant communicate with them. This is like children you cant communicate with them because they aren't on the same level, they have less life experience and wouldn't really expand your thinking.

"Think of your interviews as looking from the outside in" this results as not being as biased.

Leave a bread crumb trail..... 

We discussed it is hard as sometimes lots of ideas come to mind, take over, then get jumbled and you get lost amongst them. To prevent getting lost leave a bread crumb trail of ideas this will then help with the critical reflection part "reflection is about keeping track of your process"- this could be voice notes, writing, videoing, blogging. Remember you don't have to write as a way to think for some people this doesn't work. Find what works for you.